Top Tips on How You Can Tap into Minimalist Living
Minimalism was a 2019 mainstream phenomenon in terms of interior décor.
Whereas once it was all the rage to fill your rooms with as much expensive and lavish furniture as possible, the last year or so taught us that maximizing space and living with less could be the key to an all-round happier existence. Who knew?
For us in the tiny house movement, we've had a pretty good handle on this. Further, we've helped influence this mainstream shift towards making minimalism cool.
We're well into the first couple months of 2020, and by now, a lot of people will have broken their new years' resolutions in some capacity, whether they were to reduce plastic usage or go to the gym every day. We're only human, after all.
However, tapping into minimalist living is no wrong place to start if you want a bit of a consumer cleanse in 2020. It's proven to be good for our minds, bodies, and the environment, so what's not to love?
Minimalism itself originates in part from Japanese culture, where the "one in, one out" view was taken on possessions. They believe that if you only live with what you need, it balances your mind, body, and space for the better.
"As Joseph Campbell so poetically voiced, “The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with nature.”
That’s where it’s at — it’s where the fullness of life reveals itself to us. Simplify, simplify, simplify, and become one with yourself. That’s where, in the words of Henry Miller, “the insignificant blade of grass assumes its proper place in the universe.”
It’s no secret that the happiest people on the planet are those who live with little. With little leaves more freedom and playtime to discover our true creative genius within — our true nature. We all have it."
-Erik Rittenberry, from The American Life Is Killing You
Today we're going to be giving you our top tips on how you can tap into the minimalist way of living, no matter the size of your home.
Know What You Want from Minimalism
The key to starting something new is to know what you want from it. For example, when visiting Oranje Casino, you know that what you want in the end—to win more money than you bet on, right? Well, it might be a completely different subject matter, but you should be doing the same when switching to a minimalist lifestyle.
Why are you doing it in the first place?
Is it for the environment? Do you want to find satisfaction with fewer belongings, while giving some of your old stuff to charity? Or is it even that you want a clearer headspace, and therefore you’re clearing your physical space to give yourself exactly that?
Have a goal in mind, and remember why exactly it is you want. Many people find inner peace in clearing out and organization, so try keeping that in mind when you feel yourself slacking.
Declutter
This brings us very nicely onto our next point – get ready to declutter your house!
If you’ve heard of Marie Kondo, the Netflix phenomenon, you’ll know what her catchphrase is. She claims that if an item no longer “sparks joy,” then you shouldn’t keep it. Further, you should throw or give it away immediately!
Now, not all of us have the skills of Kondo; however all of us can commit to decluttering our space. It just takes a little bit of time and effort, but the results are inarguably satisfying.
Minimalism is all about letting go of material wealth, and not having more than we need.
Now, no one is saying you have to do it to the extreme and sleep on a mattress only or just have two shirts, but it doesn’t hurt to think about what you actually need to live comfortably when you are decluttering.
A great way of getting started is by making a plan. Start with the most important room, and go to the least important room. You might do an afternoon or two a week and get the entire house done within a few months – you don’t have to do it all in one go!
When decluttering, we recommend that you separate your clutter into three different piles:
- Things to keep, but find a proper place for
- Things to give to goodwill, charity shops, friends or family
- Things to throw away
This way, you won’t waste anything that still has some value, and you’ll know exactly what you’re doing with everything you’ve found. But the three piles into three separate boxes, label them and sort them accordingly.
It is that easy to start and make a real impact on reducing clutter.
Less Spending, More Resourcefulness
Last of all, but by no means least, try spending less money and being more resourceful.
Minimalism is all about not bowing down to consumerism, and learning to live with less to have a more peaceful life. Another positive side effect: savings that can be used on retirement, health care, experiences, etc.
The issue is, you’re not going to achieve that end goal if you keep spending money unnecessarily on new things.
Try going second hand when it comes to clothing and furniture – it’s better for both your bank account and it’s more sustainable.
Likewise, when it comes to food, try freezing left-overs, and only cooking and buying what you actually eat.
Learning to live with less is an incredibly freeing experience, and therefore can lead to a more pleasant existence. Be happy with less, and you’ll never stop thriving.
Find a Tiny Living Event Near You!
Stay informed about upcoming community events all over the country and world.
Our comprehensive event calendar features tiny home festivals, documentary showings, advocacy meetings, workshops & MORE!
